The Gospel is Our Mark of Distinction
Paul faced opponents all through his time as a preacher of the gospel. In this case, some insisted that a Christian must add to the finished work of Christ.
Acts 15 tells us the story,
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Here is the point:
When you try to add to what Christ has accomplished on the cross, you say, “The cross was not enough.” If the cross is not enough, how much is enough?
False teaching was infiltrating young churches. God sent Paul the apostle to direct the minds and hearts of the people he served towards that which saves - the gospel. In Galatians 1:1, Paul identifies himself as an apostle - not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.
The word “apostle” is a transliteration of the Greek word from which it comes, apostlos, and means one who has been sent with a message. There is a sense in which all Christians are apostlos (sent out) but not all are apostles. The office of apostle is reserved for those who were commissioned by the resurrected Lord Jesus. Paul has apostolic authority not based upon man but through Jesus Christ and God the Father.
Paul was set apart by Christ on the road to Damascus, and Christ commissioned him, apostled him, and sent him out with a message.
Paul’s message didn’t originate from his own inclinations. He could not look around and find a cultural phenomenon that resulted in his call. He wasn’t just going with the crowd, or joining a movement.
In many ways, Paul was leading the movement. Paul’s call was from a resurrected Lord who is ascended and seated at the Father's right hand who is patiently waiting the time that all things will be put under his feet.
What sets Paul apart is the same thing that sets us apart - the gospel of Jesus Christ. The truths of the gospel are too rich to originate in the mind of humanity. Consider what we say. God has come to make peace with us through the blood of the cross of Jesus Christ. He offers himself for us. God's ways were transgressed. We were the sinners, he the Savior. We crossed the line, but he didn’t allow what separated us from him keep him from coming to save us. He was wronged, and he took the initiative to make it right. We are marked by these truths.
We are the people of God; the loved of God; the forgiven of God.
This message was originally delivered to the saints called First Baptist Starkville in Fall of 2021.